


The Heart of Gold

by Rasalahuge



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-13
Updated: 2013-12-13
Packaged: 2018-01-04 13:11:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rasalahuge/pseuds/Rasalahuge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Introspective piece following on from S3Ep10 'The New Neverland'</p><p>   <em>She looked at Rumplestiltskin, “You told me the only way. You have to sacrifice the heart of the thing you love most,”</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heart of Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Will almost certainly become AU after next episode, but I wanted to post it first because after seeing it I just couldn't think of anything else.

“Wait,” Regina cut them off before they could leave the vault, “Pan can’t cast the curse, can he?” She said and everyone turned to look at her, “You told me,” She looked at Rumplestiltskin, “You told me the only way. You have to sacrifice the heart of the thing you love most,”

“That’s true,” Rumplestiltskin replied nodding briefly, “He would need to cut out the heart of the person he loves the most,”

“But he doesn’t love anyone, right?” Regina asked, “He’s in it for himself,” She glanced around at everyone in the room, “Who has he got to sacrifice?” They all stood, silent for a moment, thinking. Rumplestiltskin considered for a moment letting them think it through, but no. No he couldn’t.

“The girl,” He said suddenly and Baelfire turned to him, frowning.

“Wendy?” He frowned.

“She’s the only girl he’s ever taken to Neverland,” Rumplestiltskin said, “She was useful to control her brothers, yes, but I doubt he’s short of people willing to do anything to get their family back.”

“We’d best find her, did they leave town yet?” Emma asked looking towards Baelfire who shook his head.

“Their flight to England isn’t for another two days; they opted to stay here until then. They’re in Granny’s,” He answered.

“Then let’s go,” Charming said and in a moment they were all rushing out of the vault. All but Regina and Belle who were both looking at him with indescribable expressions.

“What are you going to do?” Belle asked her voice trembling. Rumplestiltskin felt his heart break and shatter because he didn’t want to hurt her, not like this.  
“I’m going to do what I always do,” He told her, “I’m going to make a deal,”

“If you do this, can you add a loophole to the curse? One that means we can break it?” Regina asked.

“Yes,” Rumplestiltskin replied and Belle let out a sob and rushed into his embrace.

“Please Rumple…” She sobbed as he enveloped her in his arms. Cherishing this moment, the last moment.

“Henry’s the saviour now. He’s the important one;” He swallowed heavily, “Neither of you will remember this but trust your instincts. Trust your gut. Protect him,” 

“I love you,” Belle said even as Regina nodded to him. Rumplestiltskin leant down and pressed his lips to Belle’s in one last desperate kiss.

“Tell Bae… Neal,” He corrected with a wince, “Tell him I’m sorry,”

“I will,” Belle said and with the last bit of strength he had Rumplestiltskin tore himself from her and left the vault.

Finding Pan was not hard. He wanted to be found, at least by Rumplestiltskin. Felix was with him. It was strange seeing an expression of sadistic glee on Henry’s face.

Damn he didn’t want to do this. It was a terrible way to find out that your father really did still love you even after centuries of pain and anger. He thought he might understand Bae a little more now.

And it looked like Henry was going to be his undoing after all.

“Rumple, what a pleasant surprise,”

“You can’t take my heart without me allowing it,” Rumplestiltskin said, “You’re powerful but not that powerful,”

“True,” His father replied tilting his head to one side, “So why are you here?”

“I want to make a deal,”

*****

Lacey French and Regina Mills were not the sort of people you usually expected to be friends. It would have been bizarre in any normal town but in Storybrooke, Maine, where they all answered to the powerful Simon Piper, a teenager, it was even more bizarre.

But they were. It was strange, everyone commented on it. People regularly asked one or the other. Their answer was always ‘we don’t know’.

Neither of them told how they just followed their gut. And the ghost of a man neither of them knew that told them to protect the boy that was Simon’s little brother, Henry.

If pressed they might have said it was all down to gold.


End file.
